The Book of Eli

I saw The Book of Eli while in Denver last week and posted some thoughts over at rednoW.

“What does he know?”

This is, throughout the ravaged landscape of The Book of Eli, the unavoidable question we ask of the title character. Denzel Washington plays Eli, a wanderer both desperate and serene, who trudges slowly and purposefully West. Hidden in his satchel, along with the necessities for physical survival in post-apocalyptic America, is a Holy Book, Eli’s spiritual sustenance in a world that- quite literally- would like nothing more than to devour him. We are given only small clues of the brutalizing past that left the world coated in dust and misery, but the desperate and thirsty present proves no place for a lone traveler. Unless, like Eli, that traveler possesses an otherworldly sixth sense and the ability to dispatch with anyone who threatens his journey. What does Eli know about his book? Is it madness or a spiritual quest that wakes him each morning, set for another day under the punishing sun?

Read the rest over at rednoW.

David Swanson

February 3, 2010

uncategorized

rednow, The Book of Eli

9 responses to “The Book of Eli”

Scott T

February 4, 2010 at 7:42 am

David, If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were hired by the film industry, promoting this movie. You have peaked my interest sufficiently to want to go and see this.

Scott

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Truth Seeker

March 21, 2010 at 11:06 pm

If you have not watched the movie, don’t read this . I don’t want to spoil it for you. I personally found this movie to contradict itself. Denzel Washington begins to recite the books of Moses starting at Genesis but we see that the library owner was already in possession of the Books of Moses (TANACH) and other literary works as if those other literary works did not contain passages from the bible?? Did the producers of the movie do this intentionally as a move to announce that 18th century based protestant forms of christianity are the only true christianity? Could it be that the movie was about America and America was the only country left on the planet or that English was the only language left remaining in the world?

Or was the movie about preserving a certain translation of the bible called the King James? I have no problem with the King James bible but don’t believe that Greek texts translated by English speaking people from a few hundred years ago are the only people in the world who have the gospel. Some accounts in the bible tell us above the head of Jesus in his passion there was a sign written in 3 languages Hebrew, Greek and Latin but Jesus spoke Aramaic.. All languages are important , and I felt the movie did injustice to the Jewish Tanach as well as other countries and languages. I felt the movie would be offensive to certain people outside of America who do not use the KJV but some other version of the bible.

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Truth Seeker

March 21, 2010 at 11:34 pm

Furthermore I found the narrative to be against the teaching of the book it was protecting. If one takes the time to read the Sermon on the Mount by the great Teacher who is the Christ/Messiah/Annointed One/Ha-Mashiach (depending on which language or religion you are used to) the Teacher tells us Mt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (KJV)
At the end we see the KJV placed next to the Tanach as if the Tanach is not the law and prophets? So what message does this give the movie goers? Is the message that the Tanach is not the bible too and that in having the KJV the followers of Jesus Christ have come to abolish the law and prophets and teach people that what is contained in those books is wrong?? If one reads the new testament one will see that the apostles are quoting from Tanach (or Septuagint LXX)
I leave it to the readers to ponder on these things. May you find what you are looking for. I personally feel that the producers of the movie were either biblically ignorant or that they were promoting their own form of American fundamentalism i.e. they wrote the film on the basis that truth in God has only been revealed from an 18th century evangelical/fundamentalist perspective.
For anyone who is interested to understand the old and new testament I would recommend you take any bible and read the sermon on the mount Matthew 5-7. Use the KJV or any other translation. Memorize it, receive the words of Jesus Christ , continually ponder on his wisdom and his commands through your life. Ask God for wisdom to understand what his messenger is revealing and ask for strength to carry out his commands. In obeying what he teaches you will know the truth. God will reward you for believing and doing what his messenger teaches.

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1. The Peak Oil Poet
  
  January 24, 2012 at 12:31 am
  
  The copy of Tanach beside which the newly printed Bible is placed has Hebrew on one face and English on the other – ie you ca read it in both Hebrew and English. I have the same copy – it is quite a nice book and great for those of us who’s Biblical Hebrew has some holes.
  
  I suggest that whoever used the Tanach and Torah (and Koran etc) picked them only for their impressive looking covers and nothing else. It shows ignorance rather than anything else. And after all – how many people would notice? Few who own such books are likely ever to watch the movie – as mostly they would be Orthodox Jews living in the English speaking diaspora – and i really can’t picture any of them watching the movie (except to see what such blog comments as this are talking about).
  
  There are many other holes in the movie as there are in pretty much any movie if you have the background to spot them.
  
  But movies are about suspending belief – not about believing.
  
  pop
  
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Truth Seeker

March 21, 2010 at 11:52 pm

I would not of commented about this movie if the Book of Eli was not revealed to be the King James Bible. There is nothing wrong with the King James Bible but many people who read it have been taught to read it in ignorance. The bible itself is a book that asks questions to its readers. Whoever reads it needs to see what questions we are being asked. The book is not just a book filled with commands but moreso with narratives that help us understand those commands. For example if you want to know what the real meaning of the Sabbath is go and read Luke 6 for yourself. See in Luke 6:3 Jesus Christ explains the meaning of the Sabbath by using a narrative that is found in the old testament. He says “Have you never read what David “did”.. .. Is not Jesus telling us that what David “DID” , not just what he said, is the meaning of the Sabbath?

If you have a King James bible and you are reading the new testament and the words of Jesus have been marked in red, you may also find it helpful to take another colour (lets say green) and mark all the words that show what he DID… for what he DID or DOES is also the word, it is the narrative, it is the teaching. The Pharisees in Luke 6 had failed to see this and had come under a yeast a powerful deception as to how God is communicating to us in holy scripture. They had missed the wood from the trees and needed to repent for although they knew alot of scripture they had missed the point and it had led them into error. If you do not believe this listen to these words of Jesus who says “The Father has not only taught me what to say but also “HOW” to say it”.. How does God speak to his people who have received commands? Well, may you be blessed in looking intently into the narrative.

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Truth Seeker

March 22, 2010 at 12:04 am

If you (like I have been ) are confused about the teachings of Jesus Christ and if you own a bible (even if is a KJV) don’t throw it away. If you struggle with the KJV english- go and buy a Good News Bible or Today’s modern English version. Read and let the sermon on the mount Mt 5-7 sink into your ears. I am not saying you always have to use the Good News Bible but read both and ask God to help you. Trust what Messiah is saying. The translators of the Good News bible are also scholars, they are not ignorant so don’t imagine that they are somehow inferior to KJV translators. If something is revealed in your heart to do and you know it is good.. Do it!… You will see the rewards of following Jesus Christ. In Mt 5-7 Jesus also gives us wisdom about what kind of things to avoid, especially the yeast of the scribes and Pharisees who are identified by what they do (not by what they say) These men like to use many words and be seen by others; they do their justice/alms to be seen by men.. Jesus Christ identifies what these men are up to so that their infection/yeast can be identified and we can come out from among them and receive cleansing . In following the wisdom of God through the mouth of Jesus in Mt 5-7 we will receive cleansing by the washing of water by the word. God will cleanse our hearts and our minds.
May the peace of God be with you, whoever you are. If one person is helped by this posting I thank God.. for God rejoices over one sinner who finds repentance and not the 99 who did not need to repent.

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SJC

June 23, 2010 at 10:03 pm

I think that the producers werer just ignorant and weren’t trying to say anything. But, their ignorance says alot about American Christianity’s ignorance in that we miss something as important as the fact that Eli was quoting the TaNach (“Old Testament”) and they had a Hebrew bible all along (even when he thought the “bible” he had was the last). They probably thought they were doing the PC thing in involving “other religions” by including the TaNach but they just betrayed their ignorance and the premise of the whole movie…the “book” of Eli. Not realizing that they had a copy all along 🙂

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bykerbrad

August 31, 2010 at 8:07 pm

It was a good movie ,but very missleading to young christians, or people that arent familiar with the teachings of the bible. At the end of the movie, when she is driving him west..he says” I wish I wouldnt of been so protective of the bible for all these years and should of been doing what the bible tells us to do” ..and that is,..be helpful and kind to your fellow man.THAT KIND OF THINKING IS SECUAR!!! this will keep you OUT of heaven! Not once was Jesus mentioned, or what you must do to truly get to heaven.As soon as I seen the OPERA magazine on the table with the other books “that the road crew brought in” I kinda figured that some of her new age thinking would be in the movie.

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link0911

July 2, 2011 at 10:23 pm

I simply believe that, as a Messianic Jew, the Bible was placed beside the Tenach as a way of highlighting the New Testament’s restoration & a way of showing restoration to the three main religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Christianity, being symbolically put between the two on the shelve as the one that was missing, broken, and yet restored.

I believe Eli was a messenger. The bible itself was the messianic figure. This can be evidenced by the fact that Eli was suffering from his wounds and passed on after the task was complete.

I think the key thing to take away was this. For those who believe in Yeshua (Jesus), stand for the faith and be a light in the darkest place. We may be sinners like Eli, doing some terrible things along the way, but we’re not perfect and its Christ that has the power to see us make it through… not for our glory, but for his. Also, if you memorize scripture really well, try to survive the nuclear apocalypse.

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